Following the signing of an agreement with Mirus Aircraft Seating Ltd in Hamburg, Germany, AirAsia will be the launch customer for the aircraft seating manufacturer’s new Hawk slimline economy seat. The announcement and official signing took place at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, where Mirus is a first-time exhibitor.
The agreement will see a retrofit of all AirAsia’s existing Airbus A320 aircraft while new aircraft will come preinstalled with the lightweight seats. AirAsia has also selected Mirus to provide the Hawk for its Airbus A320neo fleet, pending regulatory approval.
Update March 2018: The seats are now ready to take to the skies and are being installed in the airline’s A320 aircraft.
The Seat Specs
The Hawk is made from a fully composite frame and utilises fewer moving parts, making it close to 40 percent lighter than conventional seats. The seat has been engineered to deliver significant cabin space and weight savings while preserving passenger comfort. From the photos supplied, the seat looks comfortable an we look forward to trying it out – the back support in particular as well as head and neck support given that there is no headrest.
Hopefully the slim lines will make it possible for AirAsia to maintain the current seat pitch, allowing more leg room, especially important when you’re the inside passenger wanting to get out to go to the toilet.
AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes reiterated his commitment to innovation in his comments to guests at the signing while trying out the Hawk slimline economy seats in the presence of Mirus CEO Phill Hall (standing) after the agreement signing ceremony.
…. Mirus was chosen due to its strong innovation culture, advanced design and manufacturing capabilities as well as its commitment to delivering affordable, customised solutions. Innovation is the lifeblood of AirAsia and these new lightweight seats will ensure that we remain at the cutting edge of cabin experience while still maintaining cost leadership and delivering the same great flying experience for our guests. Tony Fernandes
…. AirAsia is always keen to work with companies that look for new, inventive ways to enhance customer experience. Through Tony’s association with Formula One, we have been able to work with Mirus, who are experts in composite materials, to develop these innovative seats. He added, “We admire their willingness to think beyond the boundaries of traditional economy seat design in interpreting our vision. Our guests are at the core of everything we do, and we are happy to achieve our aims of a more ergonomic passenger seat while also ensuring our aircraft are as economical and fuel efficient as possible. AirAsia Group Head of Engineering Anaz Ahmad Tajuddin
…. The Hawk is an optimised blend of comfort, elegance, affordability and class-leading weight proposition that guarantees low cost of continued ownership due to its simple yet robust design. AIX has established itself as the venue to showcase groundbreaking advances in passenger travel experience, and I believe there is no better place to launch Mirus and the Hawk. Mirus CEO Phil Hall
As soon as we have more information on dimensions and the time frame for implementation, we’ll update our posting.
This Post Has 0 Comments